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Babadem
Last reply · posted in Free To Air (FTA) Discussion
I'm in the process of setting up my 1.2M Dish with a DG380 Motor, so as to obtain maximum signals from both C-Band and KU Band across the arc. To achieve this aim, I have decided to setup Independent C-Band Lnbf, next to KU Band Lnbf. With this option, LNBs with dual outputs will give me access to 2 receivers simultaneously without slaving cable from one box to another. This brings me to ask the following questions.

1) Which LNB should be dead center and which one will be offset?

2) How far apart does the offset have to be from the center LNB, and does it matter if the offset is left or right of the center LNB?

3) Is it always advisable to cut the C-Band Scalar like this picture by QWERT1515 or can KU LNB be placed just next to the realm of the C-Band Scalar without cutting it?

4) Any other tips and pointers will be highly appreciated.

I'm sorry if this has been treated before, but my search didn't give me good results.
25 Replies · 6506 views
qwert1515
1) Which LNB should be dead center and which one will be offset?

The Ku band LNB should be at the center of the dish (the correct focal point) because its wave length and focal point is smaller than it is for C-Band.
This is why you have to be more careful when aligning a Ku band dish vs. a C-Band dish.
If you put the C-Band LNB in the center and the Ku-Band LNB on the side you will lose a lot of signal quality on the Ku-Band (A 1.2 Meter dish will seem like a 36" - 39" dish)
and you will not gain that much on the C-Band signal (The slight gain might be helpful on borderline transponders).

Band Frequency Wavelength
Middle of C-Band - 3.95 GHz - 3.00 inches
Middle of Ku-Band - 11.95 GHz - 0.99 inches

2) How far apart does the offset have to be from the center LNB, and does it matter if the offset is left or right of the center LNB?

The closer the offset LNB is to the correct focal point of the dish, The stronger the signal quality will be. Also the further away from the correct focal point the LNB is placed,
the less surface area the LNB will see, so you reduce the effective size of the dish seen by the LNB (Lower signal quality).

If the offset LNB is on the right side of the real focal point then the dish has to be pointed more west to pick up a satellite,
and if the offset LNB is on the left side of the dish then the dish will have to be pointed more east to pick up a satellite.

The reason why I decided to place the C-Band LNB on the right side is because where it is positioned it is offset by about 5.5° West
So if I want to pick up C-Band on my furthest Eastern satellite (55.5° west) I need my motor to point at 50.0° West and it can not.
The furthest I can point my dish to is 53° West. With the LNB on the right side I need to point at 61.0° West which my motor can do.

3) Is it always advisable to cut the C-Band Scalar like this picture by QWERT1515 or can KU LNB be placed just next to the realm of the C-Band Scalar without cutting it?

The reason I cut the scalar was to allow the Ku band LNB to be able to see the whole dish and have the C-Band LNB as close to the real focal point as possible.
(This gives the highest signal quality for an offset LNB).
Babadem
The Ku band LNB should be at the center of the dish (the correct focal point) because its wave length and focal point is smaller than it is for C-Band.
This is why you have to be more careful when aligning a Ku band dish vs. a C-Band dish.
If you put the C-Band LNB in the center and the Ku-Band LNB on the side you will lose a lot of signal quality on the Ku-Band (A 1.2 Meter dish will seem like a 36" - 39" dish)
and you will not gain that much on the C-Band signal (The slight gain might be helpful on borderline transponders).

Band Frequency Wavelength
Middle of C-Band - 3.95 GHz - 3.00 inches
Middle of Ku-Band - 11.95 GHz - 0.99 inches



The closer the offset LNB is to the correct focal point of the dish, The stronger the signal quality will be. Also the further away from the correct focal point the LNB is placed,
the less surface area the LNB will see, so you reduce the effective size of the dish seen by the LNB (Lower signal quality).

If the offset LNB is on the right side of the real focal point then the dish has to be pointed more west to pick up a satellite,
and if the offset LNB is on the left side of the dish then the dish will have to be pointed more east to pick up a satellite.

The reason why I decided to place the C-Band LNB on the right side is because where it is positioned it is offset by about 5.5° West
So if I want to pick up C-Band on my furthest Eastern satellite (55.5° west) I need my motor to point at 50.0° West and it can not.
The furthest I can point my dish to is 53° West. With the LNB on the right side I need to point at 61.0° West which my motor can do.



The reason I cut the scalar was to allow the Ku band LNB to be able to see the whole dish and have the C-Band LNB as close to the real focal point as possible.
(This gives the highest signal quality for an offset LNB).
Have you had any experience setting up any of the Combined C\Ku LNBs on a MiniBud?
qwert1515
Have you had any experience setting up any of the Combined C\Ku LNBs on a MiniBud?

Yes, I am using the Dual Band C-band and KU-band LNBF (GEOSATpro CK1) and I have had better luck using a dedicated Ku band LNB at the correct focal point.
When I had the Dual LNB in the center I had a Ku signal with a quality of around 40% - 50% on my Pansat. Removing the same LNB from the Dual fixture and placing it at the focal point gave me a 90% quality.
Babadem
Yes, I am using the Dual Band C-band and KU-band LNBF (GEOSATpro CK1) and I have had better luck using a dedicated Ku band LNB at the correct focal point.
When I had the Dual LNB in the center I had a Ku signal with a quality of around 40% - 50% on my Pansat. Removing the same LNB from the Dual fixture and placing it at the focal point gave me a 90% quality.

Thanks qwert1515! Did your C-band "Q" signal decrease as a result of it being offset, as compared to when it was centered? I Would appreciate it if you can post picture(s) of your setup here for a close observation and placement of the LNBs?

Edit: Since this is a motorized setup will the skew for the offset C-band be "0" too?
qwert1515
Thanks qwert1515! Did your C-band "Q" signal decrease as a result of it being offset, as compared to when it was centered? I Would appreciate it if you can post picture(s) of your setup here for a close observation and placement of the LNBs?

Edit: Since this is a motorized setup will the skew for the offset C-band be "0" too?

I lost a little bit of quality from the C-Band LNB being offset, about 5% on the Pansat meter.

The skew will be close to zero, but it will not be zero because when the dish is pointing at your true south satellite the offset LNB is pointing 5° away from your true south satellite.

EDIT - Do you still want pictures of my setup?
Babadem
I lost a little bit of quality from the C-Band LNB being offset, about 5% on the Pansat meter.

The skew will be close to zero, but it will not be zero because when the dish is pointing at your true south satellite the offset LNB is pointing 5° away from your true south satellite.

EDIT - Do you still want pictures of my setup?

Yes, I would like to see the pictures, and thanks for the clarification.
qwert1515
Yes, I would like to see the pictures, and thanks for the clarification.

Luckily there was no damage :)

Here are a few more pictures, if there is anything specific you want to see that the pictures don't show, let me know.
Babadem
Luckily there was no damage :)

Here are a few more pictures, if there is anything specific you want to see that the pictures don't show, let me know.

Thanks qwert1515! I will study those pictures intensely. :D It appears you modified the Standard Scalar ring to a semi Conical scalar. What kind of signal "Q" were you geeting before adding the modification?

Edit: What was the center LNB looking at when the picture was taken?
putney
Here's my current prime 84e setup. The scaler on the bsc421 improved the Q ten points to 40Q on the low and 60Q on one TP. My C-band is 8ºw of center.

I have problems with RTN. With the aluminum on the Ku my Q goes from a bouncing 35Q to a steady 35Q with occasional evening peaks to 55Q. My CNX duo's threshold is 35Q.


A round dish my do better.
Babadem
Here's my current prime 84e setup. The scaler on the bsc421 improved the Q ten points to 40Q on the low and 60Q on one TP. My C-band is 8ºw of center.

I have problems with RTN. With the aluminum on the Ku my Q goes from a bouncing 35Q to a steady 35Q with occasional evening peaks to 55Q. My CNX duo's threshold is 35Q.


A round dish my do better.

Nice Setup Putney, and thanks. Using your description above, I take it the C-band is looking at Galaxy 17 91°W . This is a stationary setup(fixed), I believe.
putney
Nice Setup Putney, and thanks. Using your description above, I take it the C-band is looking at Galaxy 17 91°W . This is a stationary setup(fixed), I believe.

No, I've got a motor. It's a SG-6000.
I'm at 90.6ºw so 91ºw is my most southern (strongest) sat.

Here's what I pulled when the C-band was centered:

After tweaking the scaler and LNB, I was able to hit C-band on 91w, 113w, 118.8, 123w, 125w, 127w. ( I dropped the LNB and angled it up higher on the dish as suggested) Some were just locks on empty TPs (118.8), but I peaked at 75Q on one TP on 91w. All in all successful at finding strong C-band signals, but it was all christian broadcasting, which is already abundant on Ku. My Ku on a 15º offset tracked the arc and locked on 85% of the signals I had when the LNB was centered, but the signals were down 30Q points.

and a link:

http://www.satelliteguys.us/free-air-fta-discussion/186725-mini-bud-p-dish-question.html
Babadem
No, I've got a motor. It's a SG-6000.
I'm at 90.6ºw so 91ºw is my most southern (strongest) sat.

Here's what I pulled when the C-band was centered:



and a link:

http://www.satelliteguys.us/free-air-fta-discussion/186725-mini-bud-p-dish-question.html

Thanks for the update! :D
Babadem
With 72°W my true south satellite, if I use 72°W KU at the center, which C-band satellite, can I use as a guide to setup my offset C-band satellite or how many degrees off can i place the C-Band? The nearest C-Band satellite West of 72°W is 15° off and to my east is 58°W and 14° off?:confused:
qwert1515
Edit: What was the center LNB looking at when the picture was taken?

The center LNB was looking at 99° West Ku.

I would move the dish over to ~ 78° and try to peak the offset LNB's position and skew on 72°, then move the dish over to your most Eastern/Western C-Band satellites and check / re-peak them.
Van
Van
Last reply · posted in What's Cooking?
Who says dinner or lunch has to be the only good meals of the day?

Honey butter grits with scrambled eggs and grilled boneless pork ribs on flakey biscuits washed down with cranberry juice.
6630 Replies · 379366 views
TRG
TRG
Bacon, eggs, hash browns and toast. Coffee.
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TRG
TRG
Wound up at the Waffle House this morning. Got the two egg breakfast with coffee.

1622.webp
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dfergie
Speaking of waffles, I'm going to put my mini waffle iron on stove so I'll remember to make waffles in the morning... Had some last week, been awhile.
dfergie
Dos cackleberrys over easy on top of 2 corned beef hash patties fried in skillet... Chocolate milk.
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TRG
TRG
Cold morning today, only 32 degrees. Fired up the oven and made cinnamon rolls (from a tube) and a pot of coffee.
Scott Greczkowski
Staff member HERE TO HELP YOU! Cutting Edge
Last reply · posted in The Chit Chat Club
Sometimes a thread gets so many posts in it that is can cause issues for the server so that why today we introduce The Song Name Game Part 3!

So let the game continue!

The last song was added by Bobby who posted...

One Meat Ball - Andrews Sisters

CONTINUE ON AND HAVE FUN! WELCOME HOME TO SATELLITEGUYS.US!

Here are the original rules for the game as posted by WebbyDude back in 2006. http://www.satelliteguys.us/threads/68645-Song-Name-Game

Just name a song title and the band who performed it. The next person does the same thing, but needs to list a song title or band name which includes a word from the previous entry. Pick songs from any genre.

Example:

Long Live Rock and Roll -- Rainbow

Rainbow in the Dark -- Dio

Another example:

Ride the Lightning -- Metallica

Lightning Strikes -- Ozzy Osbourne


Get it?


An additional note: we all know that song titles, sometimes, use profane words. Because this is a family friendly website it is advised that you clean up that title up a bit. This is accomplished by using something like sh!t instead of the real word. Thanks....
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ClarkGable
Five O'Clock World - The Vogues
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FTA4PA
Six O'Clock News - John Prine
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Bobby
It's Five O'Clock Somewhere - Alan Jackson
harshness
Somewhere - Barbra Streisand
sdfntx
Somewhere in Time - John Barry
meStevo
Lifetime Supporter
Last reply · posted in The Chit Chat Club
Continuing the Kilauea thread in the Pub here. Perhaps the Iceland one too next time there's remarkable activity.

Currently there is precursory lava flowing into the crater, leading to the next episode that'll probably start within the next day.

You can see the pace of inflation / deflation here. It serves as the primary predictor for when the expect the eruptions, which coincide w/ inflation turning into significant deflation and last for several hours on average with significant fountaining.



View: https://youtu.be/Uecu2seh4b4


Wife and I like the AfarTV feeds, for the discussion along w/ them, though they're otherwise just mirrors of the official USGS feeds.


View: https://youtu.be/iws3rh5vLAQ
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Foxbat
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Foxbat
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Foxbat
Oooo, quite the show now. All three vents have doming and overflows. The cone that built up around the North vent lost its upper quarter at 02:50 Oct 17 and is now spewing lava at a healthy rate. Don't know if I would say it's a fountain, but it's close.


IMG_1534.webp

edit: The USGS has called the official start of Episode 55 as starting at 03:19 HST Oct 17, 2026:

Alert Level: WATCH, Color Code: ORANGE 2026-10-17 13:43:56 UTC
HVO/USGS Volcanic Activity Notice

Volcano: Kilauea (VNUM #332010)

Current Volcano Alert Level: WATCH
Current Aviation Color Code: ORANGE

Issued: Saturday, October 17, 2026, 3:43 AM HST
Source: Hawaiian Volcano Observatory
Notice Number: 2026/H488
Location: N 19 deg 25 min W 155 deg 17 min
Elevation: 4091 ft (1247 m)
Area: Hawaii

Summary: Episode 55 of the ongoing Halemaʻumaʻu eruption began at 3:19 AM HST on October 17, 2026.

Volcanic Activity:
Episode 55 of lava fountaining in Halemaʻumaʻu began at the summit of Kīlauea began at 3:19 AM HST on October 17, 2026.

Fountain heights are relatively low at about 100-150 feet (30-45 m), and it is not clear whether this episode will evolve to the same heights as previous episodes. Continuous overflows from the vents began yesterday, October 16, just before 6 a.m. HST and transitioned into episode 55 fountains at 3:19 a.m. HST this morning. The current forecast is for winds are blowing from the north-northeast direction, which suggests that volcanic gas emissions and volcanic material may be distributed to the south-southwest direction from Halemaʻumaʻu.
  • All eruptive vents and lava flows are confined to Halemaʻumaʻu crater within Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. Tephra fall from volcanic ash clouds is greatest within 3 miles (5 km) of the vents, lighter ash and Pele's Hair may stay suspended for large distances from the vents.
Foxbat
Kīlauea seems to be returning to the "normal" eruption script, impressive fountaining from the North Vent. For once, the V2 Cam has the best overall shot:
IMG_1535.webp
The lava flows have covered a good portion of the Halemaʻumaʻu crater floor.
BlackHitachi
Supporting Founder
Last reply · posted in Movie Talk
Since the Reds have there thread we should too!

Last watched Nine inch Nails
Next 3:10 to Yuma
5390 Replies · 510343 views
osu1991

View: https://youtu.be/9j3vxhzM8MY?is=Rs1cY1FQAiRWi87i


Come September (1961)
Rock Hudson and Gina Lollobrigida with Sandra Dee and Bobby Darin
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Y
1791758462355.webp


Simple, charming. Entire premise is quite silly but Cary Grant carries it across the line in good fashion.
T
Last: The Social Reckoning. Spoiler alert, they make Zuck look like a...
Foxbat
Since it was already "paid" for, I spent the two hours of my time watching the John Cena action movie on Apple TV, "Matchbox The Movie" even though the reviews were brutal. It was better than I expected, so I didn't feel like I had wasted an afternoon watching it. But it felt like another "Reacher"/"Neghley"/"Mission: Impossible"/"Fast & Furious" crash and blow stuff up with lots of automatic gunfire mixed in movie featuring covert CIA operatives.

I don't think we'll get a follow-up movie from this. I expect Mattel will have other toy lines to exploit.
dfergie
Staff member HERE TO HELP YOU!
Last reply · posted in What's Cooking?
Anyone making their own breakfast sausage? I've recently been trying different recipes, found some I like, some I've modified...
38 Replies · 3562 views
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navychop
Bob Evans Sage.
R
Bob Evans Sage.
I will look, but I don't think I have seen it. Owen's breakfast sausage use to be favorite, but I can't find it anymore. Jimmy Dean's country mild is OK also when I can find it.
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dfergie
Swaggerty's isn't too bad, sausage prices are lower per lb than making my own from pork butts right now so I've been buying JC Potter or Owen lately.
(Swaggerty's at Sam's is pre cut, I usually partially freeze the rolls and cut with my slicer and vacuum seal on parchment paper)
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S
I will look, but I don't think I have seen it. Owen's breakfast sausage use to be favorite, but I can't find it anymore. Jimmy Dean's country mild is OK also when I can find it.
amazon maybe :what
S
I will look, but I don't think I have seen it. Owen's breakfast sausage use to be favorite, but I can't find it anymore. Jimmy Dean's country mild is OK also when I can find it.
owens on amazon is 54.99 for a 4 pk 16 oz a sausage. i feel that's kind of steep!!!
S
Swaggerty's isn't too bad, sausage prices are lower per lb than making my own from pork butts right now so I've been buying JC Potter or Owen lately.
(Swaggerty's at Sam's is pre cut, I usually partially freeze the rolls and cut with my slicer and vacuum seal on parchment paper)
id'e rather make my own vs store bought.
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R
owens on amazon is 54.99 for a 4 pk 16 oz a sausage. i feel that's kind of steep!!!
Especially when I can get a two pound roll of Jimmy Dean from Sam's Club for $7.38.
dfergie
They run Owens at $3.99 for lb and $7.99 a couple times a month at some grocery stores here, I actually was wrong, just checked a pork sirloin roast it was $1.99 a lb. (cooked it yesterday so pack was in trash)
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TheRatPatrol
Last reply · posted in TV Shows
Anyone else watch this show? Any guesses as to what was in the box Gibbs gave to Abby that was on her desk? It look liked it was glowing.

I also heard that someone was leaving the show at the end of this season. Any guesses as to who thats going to be?
2134 Replies · 214759 views
Jimbo

Howard ...
You don't like Tony, or Tony as the Director (he's only been there for 30 seconds now) or you don't like NCIS ?
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Howard Simmons
Howard ...
You don't like Tony, or Tony as the Director (he's only been there for 30 seconds now) or you don't like NCIS ?
Tony as the director.🙄
Jimbo
Tony as the director.🙄
Would you rather have LaRoche ???
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dfergie
I liked this episode and a toned down Tony...
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Howard Simmons
Would you rather have LaRoche ???
No. Bring in someone new.🤔 Tony is not serious enough for me. Parker is too close to the team and Tim is too young to take over IMO.
Jimbo
No. Bring in someone new.🤔 Tony is not serious enough for me. Parker is too close to the team and Tim is too young to take over IMO.
I don't think Tim and Tony are that far apart in Age ...

Remember what Tony said to Tim when they first got back together ...
Tony said: I am the New Tony, Tim .... (something to that effect)

Tony has changed, he's been running his Security Business ... I'm sure he has grown up.

Give it time ... your judging the New Tony from the old Tony.

It sounds like Tim won't be around the Team much longer either.
KAB
KAB
I wonder it they will show the teased meeting (in Origins) with Tony and Gibbs.
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Jimbo
I wonder it they will show the teased meeting (in Origins) with Tony and Gibbs.
I'm curious how they are going to implement Tony into Origins (If they do) ...
Tony was introduced to Gibbs and the team, on NCIS, which makes it the Mothership side of things, he worked in Baltimore prior to NCIS, NO mention when they met that anyone had known one another ...